Destiny: Guardians of the New Vanguard
by Spazzy McMuffintop
Summary: Before Ghaul, before the Red Legion, before Oryx the Taken King, the City trained Guardians of all kinds to help fight off the Darkness that threatened its walls. Following the story of three friends, before and after death, a story unlike any other will unfold. Allies will be met, enemies will be made, but with the help of the Light, they will create a legend unlike any other.


**"MEATBAGS! IF YOU DO NOT PICK ME UP, I WILL TIE YOUR SQUISHY ENTRAILS INTO A ROPE AND JUMP WITH THEM...AS SOON AS I ACQUIRE HAND UNITS!"**

Light filled Khon's cracked eyelids for the first time in who knew how many years. His body felt numb at first, barely able to move even an inch. Instantly, an even brighter light shone down on him, causing him to close his eyes again. New energy rejuvenated his body, flowing through his veins and washing over his muscles. His long decrepit body healing at an incredible rate! Finally, Khon pushed himself up into a sitting position, his head still light and slightly aching. He could feel the sand beneath his fingers, only a small layer before giving way to solid concrete. The air was stuffy, particles floating wistfully in the surrounding air. It seemed he wasn't the only one around either, aside from the demanding voice. A strained groan came from his right, where another individual was waking up. A human by the looks of him, he rolled onto his stomach, dirt falling from his newly grown hair as he tasseled it instinctively. He took a few more moments to gulp down precious oxygen into his lungs before turning and looking at Khon.

"Who in the hell're you?" was the first thing to come out of his mouth. Rather rude for first impressions, but a fair thing to ask. Khon raised his hand to his face, seeing his skin for what seemed like the first time. His knees still kind of weak, he was standing up when -

 _"Hello!"_

A voice pierced the silence, coming from right in front of Khon. He let out a quick yelp, falling back and landing on his rear. A floating light loomed nearer, forcing him to raise his hand and allow his eyes to adjust. When they did, he could make out some strange floating object no bigger than a tennis ball. Small black metal frames gyrated along a white sphere. One of the shell pieces was chipped, _"Sorry 'bout that! You never know how your Guardian's gonna react when they resurrect."_ Guardians? Resurrect? Whatever this thing was saying, it was more than a little confusing. Khon took a deep breath, running his hands through his curly locks, obviously stressed out. Had he been sleeping? If so, how did he end up here? With these people?

 _"You have been dead for a very long time. Oh my those clothes are practically ragged! Here, we'll fix that up for you,"_ a feminine voice appeared as well. It was a very bubbly voice, kind of higher pitched and ecstatic.

This one, however, was bobbing up and down softly, seemingly enjoying this occasion. Light flew from the tiny figure 's bulb, a beam of pure energy striking Blaire in the center of his chest. It began to flesh outwards, quickly encompassing his body all the way to his toes and fingertips. In a flash, it was gone, but new clothes were on him. He began patting it down, feeling the texture and toughness. It was all white in color, with padding and what looked like...armor? _"These are the best we could do on such short notice. Once we get you to the city, you'll be looking good as new!"_ Khon looked down and was surprised to see he was wearing something similar.

 **"HEY! WHEN DO I GET A WHITE SUIT!?"** Of course, I would prefer to have a body as well" chimed in a new voice to the first. It was slightly more proper and rational compared to its counterpart. Blaire got up to his feet, shuffling over to the source of the sound. Dropped behind a small chunk of broken rock, was a solid hunk of metal. Cautiously, he picked it up, turning it to see a robotic face with chromatic eyes. They seemed to shimmer with white, but change quickly to every color on the wheel. "A robot?" Blaire said curiously, noticing the neck where it had been disconnected, "Well, a piece of one at least."

 **"IF I HAD HANDS, I WOULD RIP OUT YOUR TONGUE AND USE IT TO SEAL MY LETTERS, MAGGOT!"** a deep, burly, threatening voice boomed from the head, causing Blaire to instantly drop it. "Ow! Well you didn't have to go and do that, you clutz!" A third floating shell appeared and flew around the head until gently landing on top of it. It was a mint green with white and gold intricacies. The white ones flew across the shell in waves, looking like the wind was blowing against it. "Oh no. I couldn't bring your body back. There were too many pieces all over the place, so I put you all in your head until we make it back to the City, okay?" said another female voice. This one sounded a lot like an older woman, talking almost like a mother. It was gentle and caring, concerningly relaxing and peaceful. "Thank you very much...um... what are you?" the nicer robot voice asked.

 _"We are Ghosts! The Traveler created us to find our Guardians and bring them back to fight the Darkness!"_ Blaire's ghost interjected happily. It floated back to him, shimmering with light and disappearing from sight. Blaire was taken aback, looking all around for the little Light. _"Don't you worry. I am safe inside your head. Can you all hear me on your comms?"_

Khon looked at his suit, trying to find what may look like a comms device. Noticing a data pad on his arm, he raised it and spoke, "Can you all hear me?"

 _"100% functional"_ Khon's ghost confirmed aloud.

 _"I am also on the line!"_ said Blaire's ghost.

 **"We are also online!"** came the loud shout of the Exo head.

Khon was on his feet and looked around. They seemed to be in a sealed room, a basement of some sort. He began to walk around when his foot hit something metal on the ground. Looking down, he saw a rifle of some sort. It was long rusted and probably didn't work. Suddenly, Khon's Ghost appeared in front of him, looking at him and nodding. _"Don't sweat it! I can spiff that old thing right up!"_ it said rather optimistically. Another beam of light from the ghost zapped the gun, causing it to glow and disappear. In a matter of moments, it dropped right in front of Khon's eyes, causing him to quickly reach out and grab it. Surveying it in his hands, it seemed good as new! No more dust on it, the mechanisms moved smoothly as he racked the action on it, and what seemed like a full clip. _"You're gonna need those guns. We don't know what will be waiting for us out there. And don't go too gung ho, alright? We can only make a small amount of telemetric ammo, so you'll have to look for more later,"_ the Exo's ghost flitted up into the air.

Blaire had picked up a gun as well, a large revolver. Flicking the chamber open, he counted 8 shots before shutting it. He was as ready as he'd ever be, so he holstered the Hand Cannon, looking at Khon and the Exo. "I don't know what's happening right now, but I'm just glad knowing I'm not the only one that's lost. I'm Blaire. Dorian Blaire," he introduced himself to them. "And I'm Khon Te'varis," said the Awoken male. "And I am LN3-8867," the Exo said from it's slightly ajar position on the floor. Khon bravely went and picked up the head, holding it under his arm. Blaire joined the two quickly, "LN3 what what? There's no way i'm gonna remember that. How about juuusst..." he paused, rubbing his chin before giving his fingers a snap, "Lane!" Lane's eyes blinked distantly, both looking in opposite directions before snapping back to attention. "Hmmmm. I think that will do just fine," he said, resting in Khon's arm.

 _"Glad we got that sorted out. Whaddya say we get out of here?"_ Khon's ghost said, flying up and hovering by an opening in the roof. It was a hatch, ajar just so the ghosts could fit through. Blaire, having the least to carry, went first and climbed the ladder. The hatch creaked loudly, a high pitched piercing sound echoing into the outside world. Pulling himself up, he took in his surroundings. The sun beat down on him instantly, soaring high in the sky above their heads. The only solace was the shade from the ruins they were in. What could only have be described as a ghost town greeted Blaire. Khon was right behind him, pulling one leg out of the hole as Blaire walked around. They seemed to have been inside some building, however its frame was less than structurally sound. The dry, stagnant wind blew through it as easily as if it weren't even there. "So where are we exactly?" Blaire asked his ghost.

 _"We are in a northern region of what you called Saudi Arabia,"_ she answered with a chipper tone. Blaire nodded, "Aaand how are we going to get out of here? We're in the middle of a desert with literally jack squat." The ghost lit up like it was about to say something, but remained silent and resorted to looking at the ground sadly. _"There's actually a City outpost about 33 miles from here. Now, the probability that we make it there without any problems, is very VERY low,"_ Khon's interjected, trying to keep hopes running high.

"And you expect us to walk 33 miles? In the blistering desert heat? With rinky dink guns?" Blaire questioned the ghost sarcastically. Silence ensued.

Khon closed the hatch, letting it fall shut with a loud _clank!_ Gripping his rifle, he moved over to Blaire, "We don't have many options here."

"I detect foreign technology in our proximity," Lane suddenly came to life, eyes changing color rapidly, "Due West, approximately one kilometer."

Khon and Blaire looked at each other, both leaving the condemned remnants of their resting place. Trudging through the desolate sands, their footprints were quickly swept over as they roamed from dune to dune. Finally, something could be made out. A motor vehicle of some kind was resting on its side, sunk deep into the sands. _"A pike!? What luck! I just need a second to give it a tune up!"_ Khon's ghost shot out from his body, tending to the pike with multiple light beams. The other two quickly joined in, a small light show following shortly after. While the ghosts were messing with the insides, Khon and Blaire got on their knees and began digging out the frame. Through their collective efforts, the pike was soon looking almost as good as new. Hauling it back to an upright position, the group looked at their handiwork proudly. "Not bad, you guys," Khon gave Blaire a pat on the back. "Yeah. Not to be a party pooper, but this thing only has one seat. So either one of us stays behind," Blaire said in a dark manner, "Or someone rides bitch."

 _"Do any of you even know how to drive a pike?"_ Blaire's ghost cut in. The two Guardians looked each other in the eye, wondering if the other knew. A half hour later, the pike was roaring across the sandy plains. Dorian grinned as he steered them wherever his Ghost told him to. Khon and Blaire had taken turns trying to figure out the Fallen vehicle, silently agreeing that whoever got it to work would drive. Kohn was busy sulking, his back to Blaire's. Lane was attached to Khon's hip by his wires, bobbing and swaying as they rode. _"We are almost there!"_ Lane's ghost cut in, seeing a small group of buildings over the sand, _"Once we are in, you will be shipped off to the city. You will be safe there. You can start your training as official Guardians and even...wait..."_ Loud pops and explosions reached their ears as they got closer to the outpost. Blaire squinted, trying to make out what was happening. He could see other people, "Guardians" as his Ghost kept referring to them as. They were being attacked! Strange creatures, ducking behind cover or even scrambling up onto higher vantage points with utmost ease. A few even had four arms! Khon craned his neck to see as well.

 **"WHAT IS HAPPENING!? I HAVE SAND IN MY SPECS!"** Lane bellowed out to the others.

"There're others in there! They need help," Blaire spoke over his shoulder.

"Yeah, but we just got brought back to life. I don't really want to go back to being dead just yet," Khon interjected, sounding more than a little concerned.

"Oh come on. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Back in that cellar. Where I DIED."

They were almost to the walls of the outpost now. Blaire scoffed and shook his head, suddenly speeding up. Khon lurched as they picked up speed, "What are you doing, man!?"

A Dreg fired its pistol as it charged into the entrance of the outpost. A few more of its pack followed, a couple Vandals scaling the walls for a better vantage point. Bringing up the rear, one of the Fallen heard an approaching noise. Its ears registered it as a pike, one of their vehicles. Perhaps backup had arrived. It turned to confirm its theory. As soon as it swiveled its head to check, it was met with the front end of Blaire and company. The others in front of it didn't have enough time to stop and see what was happening before they were barreled into like a rocket. Blaire whooped victoriously while Khon shouted out, terrified. The stunt did its toll on the pike, however. The engine died, causing it to hit the sand, skidding for a couple meters. It rocked around so violently that Lane's wires came loose from Khon's hip, sending him high into the air. He yelled out as he began to come down, heading straight for one of the ascended Vandals. The shout turned into a war cry as Lane's head came down on the Fallen. He clamped down on the Vandal's neck, his jaws squeezing with a vice-like grip. His mechanical mouth held tight as the Fallen soldier tried prying him off, strange liquid seeping from the wound.

 **"FEEL MY MECHANICAL CARNAGE, YOU SQUISHY SCUM!"** he challenged his victim as it fell to its knees.

The pike came to a screeching halt, the sand being thrown up into the air, creating a thick cloud. It slowly began to settle, Blaire and Khon coughing as it did. Footsteps quickly approached them hauling them off the vehicle. "ARE YOU GODDAMN CRAZY!? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS!?" Blaire's handler shouted at them as they were pulled away. It was a woman's voice, but she didn't sound all too happy. She had on bulky armor and a strange helmet, but he could still tell by her figure that it was a girl. Not that he was complaining. Khon however, was having less fun. He was being dragged by another armored stranger, having a hard time staying on his feet. His ghost quickly flew around, trying to explain. _"We're trying to get to The Last City. We just resurrected them and they need to go to the Tower!"_ he quickly shot off, pestering the other Guardian. It must have worked, because the two helmeted Guardians stopped and looked at each other.

"Freshies, huh?" the male carrying Khon finally spoke, letting him go.

"You guys are new Guardians?" the female questioned them, looking at Blaire as he stood up at full height. He brushed himself off before answering.

"I guess so," he answered nonchalantly, wiping a tuft of sand off his shoulder. Khon was dusting off his robes with a dignified huff. Guess he didn't appreciate being manhandled. More shots flew over their heads as a bunch of Fallen surged forth.

"Get to the ship! We'll hold them off!" the woman shouted, ushering them towards the space craft. Her partner crouched behind a steel box, firing his Auto Rifle to keep their enemies at bay. They were approaching the ship when Khon suddenly stopped. "What are you doing!?" Blaire yelled back at him.

"Where's Lane!?" Khon shouted, looking around for the disembodied head. Blaire's eyes widened as he ran back to search with Khon. Brushing past the female Guardian, they scanned the area from behind cover. Finally, Khon pointed up to the wall. A Vandal had fallen to its knees and lay on the ground with a soft _thud._ A black object rolled off the body and to the edge of the wall. It rolled almost to a stop before leaning and falling off. It let out a deep yell, Khon taking off in a sprint. Bullets flew past and around him as he had his arms outstretched to catch Lane's head. He slid on his knees, the heavy steel dome falling into his arms. "Thanks," he said politely, getting a small nod in return. That wasn't the end of it though. A strange growl came from close by. The other Vandal was clinging to the wall like a spider, his rifle pointed right at Khon. The barrel began to glow blue as it charged its shot. Khon froze and was about to try and run for it before-

 _POW! POW!_

Two shots hit the Vandal in the back, causing it to go limp and fall to the ground. Blaire stood over the two, both hands gripping his Hand Cannon as the muzzle smoked.

"Good shot," Khon stood up with Lane's head.

"Good catch," he returned the compliment, waving for them to run back to the ship. The trio rushed back towards safety, coming up on their Guardian protectors. "Not bad. Now get out of here before that luck runs out," the female ordered them. She sounded surprised, pleasantly surprised. You could almost hear the smile underneath that helmet. She patted them on the shoulder as they passed her, still firing with one arm. As they honed in on it, their bodies (and head) began to shine and in a flash, they were transmatted on board instantly. A pilot was in the cockpit and turned to see the three, "Celine said you were headed for the City?" They nodded and he turned to his controls, the engines roaring to life. "Then let's get out of here. They can handle their own, so don't worry about those two." The ship left the ground, a few shots hitting its hull harmlessly. Khon and Blaire got into some seats before they suddenly launched into the sky. From the ground, the ship quickly shrank as it headed for the home of all Guardians.

The flight was short, only about an hour soaring above the clouds. They began to slow down on approach, Khon and Blaire rousing for whatever was about to greet them. "I'm dropping you off in the Tower Plaza. I gotta dock and refuel," the pilot called back once more. Their bodies glowed and they were blind for a split second. Blinking it off, they realized they were no longer in the ship. Rather, they were on what looked like an extremely large balcony area. There were these large tower-looking structures, a small kiosk sized building, and hallways leading to unknown areas. Another thing they noticed, was that they weren't on the ground. They suddenly dropped, toppling onto one another and groaning. A hearty laugh bellowed out, heavy footsteps approaching the pile of Guardians. "Fresh meat! I love it!" Strong hands clasped onto Blaire, lifting him to his feet. They did the same to Khon.

"Get that Exo a body asap! We need these newbies ready for training by yesterday!" the burly voice shouted. A human in overalls came and took Lane's head, quickly walking off.

"Training? Like the Guardian training?" Kohn asked the man. At least he thought it was a man. This guy towered over both himself and Blaire, chest puffed out and hands resting on his hips. He was massive, his armor white and red while his helmet appeared to have horns. One horn specifically, the other one seemed to have been cut off or broken off.

"Of course! You are Guardians now! And you will train as such!" he shouted some more. It seemed that he had no idea how to talk normally.

Blaire chipped in himself, "And who are you exactly?"

"I... am Lord Shaxx! I am in charge of training recruits like yourself in my Crucible! And let me tell you," he said, walking over and gripping both of their shoulders.

"We are about to have lots of fun together!"


End file.
